The present invention is related to a portable screen particularly suitable for providing a barrier inhibiting bystanders, particularly motorist, from visual inspection of an area, and more particularly a crash site or traffic incident.
In a recent report issued by the North Carolina Department of Transportation ‘rubbernecking’ is among the main causes of secondary traffic accidents and related injuries. First responders to accidents typically arrive quickly, but as the ‘rubberneckers’ pass by, the privacy and integrity of the incident scene is lost due to traffic congestion. Firefighters and EMS personnel are hampered from performing their duties safely and with confidence that the site is protected from unwanted intrusion. Such traffic congestion is characterized by slower speeds and longer trip times. In addition to accidents, causes of traffic congestion may include roadwork, or other construction, and increased congestion caused thereby.
Regardless of cause, traffic congestion can escalate and increase due to “gawking.” Gawking occurs when drivers stuck in traffic slow down, despite nearing the cause or end of congestion, to observe what is going on. Often, this is to see a car accident, wreckage, and emergency response vehicles. Regardless, such gawking often magnifies the delays caused by the traffic congestion.
According to a 2003 study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University, rubbernecking, driver fatigue and looking at scenery are some of the leading causes of distraction-related traffic crashes. The study, conducted for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, may be one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the nation. More than 2,700 crash scenes involving distracted drivers and nearly 4,500 drivers were studied. While cell phones have been widely criticized as the cause of distracted driving, they ranked sixth in the study's list of distracted driving behaviors. Looking at traffic, crashes and roadside incidents was the primary distraction in 16 percent of the crashes studied, followed by driver fatigue, 12 percent; looking at scenery, 10 percent; passenger and child distractions, nine percent; and adjusting the radio, CD or tape player, seven percent. Cell phones were cited as the primary distraction in slightly more than five percent of the crashes studied. Distractions inside the vehicle accounted for 62 percent of all the crashes studied.
The Federal Highway Administration's “BEST PRACTICES IN TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT” recommends that incident investigation sites provide a safe refuge off the main roadway where further investigation or documentation, such as pictures and videos, can take place in a secure environment. Scene security screens should block unauthorized electronic surveillance. Sites should be easily accessible from the main roadway for authorized personnel and vehicles, yet sufficiently out of sight to prevent unauthorized surveillance and motorist delay caused by rubbernecking.
Increased congestion, due to gawking, has opportunity costs including non-productivity of drivers caught in lengthened commutes. Moreover, such delays can cause lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses. Inability to forecast travel times can cause drivers to allocate more time to travel, again resulting in loss of productivity. This can also lead to increased wear and tear on vehicles. Finally, longer commutes due to gawking causes increased air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.
While gawking continues to be a significant contributor to traffic congestion, very little has been done to alleviate this problem. One proposed solution is disclosed in Patent Publication No. U.S. 20130048227 to Cannova which teaches a portable barrier having three primary components: a first vertical assembly, a corresponding second vertical assembly and a retractable screen positioned between both vertical assemblies. Preferably, the retractable screen includes a plurality of perforations sufficient to reportedly allow enough air to pass through the portable barrier to reduce the risk of toppling the device during normal wind conditions. The perforations are contrary to the discovery of this invention wherein no perforations are necessary.
Patent Publication No. U.S. 20100288450 to Bruck teaches a septum (wall) apparatus having a plurality of fabric sheets connected to poles on tripods on each side. The role of the tripods is to keep the poles upright. Since the fabric sheets are exposed to wind, they act as sails, resulting in pushing the septum until it collapses. One embodiment of the invention adds a supporting rope to each side of the apparatus, connected to a grounded peg. Alternatively, each of the tripods has weights connected to the legs of the tripod. Neither ropes nor weighted legs are required for the current invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,554 to Wright teaches a portable accident barrier device with a pair of telescopic pole assemblies of substantially equal length, and a tarpaulin. The pole assemblies each have a base including a vertically-oriented cylindrical post having four cylindrical S-shaped ground-engaging feet affixed equidistantly apart to the post in a downwardly and outwardly relationship thereto and further having a locking means therein. The current invention is free-standing and does not use ground-engaging devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,196 entitled “Portable Device for Screening Off and Accident Scene from View” to Hipskind which addresses a perforated vinyl sheet that can be assembled between two vertical rods. Contrary to the current invention, the Hipskind device requires one vertical rod to be attached to an emergency vehicle positioned at the source of the congestion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,701 entitled “Traffic Management System” to Falcon teaches use of three vertical posts, two of which include rolled and expandable screens that are dispensed by way of a crank. To ensure stability, the Falcon system however requires a middle vertical pole not required for the current invention.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for portable screens that defend incident sites with respect by establishing privacy, reduce the probability of secondary accidents due to an unprotected scene, and provide a secure environment for incident investigators.